Friends (1994) - 144 questions

Question: The very first episode of Friends includes Rachel leaving Barry on their wedding day and coming to live with Monica. The rest of the group are already friends. But I know I've seen an episode which has Phoebe moving out of Monica's, Joey moving in with Chandler and making a move on Monica. It also shows Central Perk as a bar, before it gets turned into a coffee bar and Ross anouncing him and Carol have broken up. In which episode does this happen?

Answer: "The One With The Flashback", series 3.

Question: I read the trivia about Bruce Willis having to star in Friends for no fee, but he was in more than one episode. Did he only do ONE for free?

Answer: I think I remember reading at the time that they paid him very little (a few thousand), which he donated to charity.

Question: I don't remember the episode, but I think it was in season 6, there is reference where someone calls someone else "Tennille." Who's that?

Answer: One of the most successful duos in pop history, Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille. A husband and wife singing team, known as The Captain and Tennille.

Question: I've always wondered about this - how is the Friends set/studio laid out? It's fairly obvious that the two main apartments and corridor are one large set with the audience behind the camera (as is fairly standard), but what about Central Perk? Is that part of the same set with the audience...somewhere, or is that filmed elsewhere and shown to the audience separately?

Answer: Monica's apartment is centre stage, with Joey's on the audience's left, separated by the hallway in between. Central Perk is on the right of Monica's, and stays up permanently because it features in every show. Ross' appartment is on the right of Monica's but alongside the audience. 1. Monica's room and the guest room formerly known as Rachel's room are not set up all the time because they are often used for filming from different angles. When they are set up it is often on a different part of the set. 2. The poster next to Monica's tv hides a camera hole for filming kitchen/door scenes. 3. The street outside Central Perk is also part of the set, not filmed outside. However I am unsure of where this is in relation to the set. 4. Monica's secret closet is actually a door to the backstage area, the shelves featuring in the one with the secret closet were a one time thing. These facts were correct at the end of series nine, details of the layout of the series 10 set are not yet available.

Question: What is the episode called (and which series) when everyone reflects on what may have happened? It involves Monica still being overweight and Chandler is a computer geek.

Answer: It's called 'The One That could have been' and it's from series 6. Two parts.

Question: What happened to Ben? He's been missing ever since series 7 or 8.

Answer: He's hardly "missing" - he was only ever an occasional guest character. He has appeared once or twice, but since none of the plots really involve him, Carol or Susan, he hasn't been in it that much.

Question: Please tell me if this true: out of all six, is it only Joey and Monica who have not kissed each other?

Answer: No, Phoebe and Monica have not kissed each other either. Ross and Monica kissed in college (we find out in series 10) - she was asleep on a bed and Ross thought it was Rachel covered by coats. Ross and Chandler may have kissed - in "The One Where Chandler Doesn't Remember Which Sister", it's implied he drunkenly kissed Monica, Rachel, and Ross, but Ross may just be joking.

Question: What does the insult "Fafanapolie" mean? I don't know if it's spelled correctly but the meaning is what I really want to know.

Answer: "Va fa Napoli" means go to Naples (Joey is speaking Italian). It's presumably his equivalent of "Go to hell!", though why he equates hell with Naples is unclear.

Question: Does anybody knows what the "your love life's DOA" means in the title song?

Answer: DOA is an acronym meaning "Dead On Arrival". It is usually used in a military or medical context. However, in this case, it means there is no sex being had.

Question: When I was watching an episode the other day, Rachel said Richard, Monica's former boyfriend, gave her a little get-well kiss when she was young. This implies that she already knew Monica, as Richard was friends with Monica's dad. With this in mind, and with all relevant characters aside from the main group as well as the six 'Friends' I was wondering if anyone could provide a clear and concise explanation of the backstory to them all meeting, where they lived, school, etc.

Answer: Monica and Rachel went to school together and grew up in the same area of Long Island. Chandler met Ross at college and was introduced to both Monica and Rachel over thanksgiving. After college, Monica and Rachel lost touch, Rachel went off to get engaged to Barry the evil orthadontist, Phoebe moved in with Monica (we've never been told how Phoebe and Monica met, although coincidentally Phoebe mugged Ross when they were teenagers and she lived on the street), and after Kip (Chandler's roommate) left (either to get married or after a bad breakup with Monica, depending on which episode you watch), Joey moved in with Chandler (he was actually a second choice roommate, but Mr. Heckles scared off the first choice). Ross got married to Carol but got divorced due to her lesbianism, and Rachel ended up running out on Barry on her wedding day - she lived with Monica up until Chandler moved in.

Question: One of the trivia points is that the etch-a-sketch in Joey's apartment always has a picture on it linked to the show. Are there any examples of this?

Question: I know that some shows/films changed their city scape shots between scenes after September the 11th but did Friends? I noticed on an old Episode from series 6 where the Trade Center Towers are still standing. I thought they might have changed it for the later episodes, but are there any plans to go back an edit episodes featuring shots of the Two Towers?

Answer: No I don't think so. Earlier episodes show the Trade Center Towers in some of their shots but after 9/11 Friends started using new cityscape shots, which makes sense.

Question: Does anyone know where I can find images of the art displayed in Monica's apartment, in particular, the art in her bedroom?

Answer: You can buy them at http://www.shoptvweb.com/product/696.php

Question: I was just wondering,how they choose the audience? Do the people just go up and ask if they can be in the audience or id their some special criteria?

Answer: Behind the scenes documentaries show that it's just a case of getting to the studio very early and waiting in line for tickets, however, for the final episode made a specially selected audience made up of the cast's family members were the only ones allowed in, to conceal the surprise.

Question: What is the title song (the one that comes in and all the friends are dancing etc.) who sings it and what is it called?

Answer: "I'll be there for you" by The Rembrandts.

Question: What is the address for the building always shown to be the apartment building?

Answer: 495 Grove St., New York, NY 10001.

Question: In the UK at least, new box sets have just been released of all 10 series (3 discs per box). Does anyone know if these are double sided or single sided discs? The original DVDs were double sided, which always seemed stupid.

Answer: They are double sided. Four episodes per side on 3 discs gives 24 episodes which equal one season.

Question: I recently read in a magazine that Lisa Kudrow had to wear a wig for an entire season because of a dramatic haircut that would not suit her character. Is this true and if so which season?

Answer: In Season 6 Lisa Kudrow had a short bob, and as this would not suit her character (couldn't possibly have a short-haired hippy) so they added hair extensions to the end of her hair. In Season 9 episodes she wore a wig, as she dyed her hair brown for her part in the movie 'Wonderland'.

Question: When Phoebe's mom died she went and lived on the street. But why? I am sure they had a house. Why would someone take it away from them?

Answer: Phoebe's mom died, and her stepfather was in prison. If Phoebe and Ursula did have a house, I'm sure they were too young to be able to keep it up and pay the bills themselves, since Phoebe said she was living on the street by the age of fourteen.